Roof insulation



Oct. 12, 1965 K. MEYER 3,210,901

ROOF INSULATION Filed Dec. 4, 1961 lllLLlll\ll llllllllm INVENTOR.

Axmz. NE YER United States Patent 3,210,901 ROOF INSULATION Karl Meyer, 33 Rosastrasse, Essen, Germany Filed Dec. 4, 1961, Ser. No. 157,328 Claims priority, application Germany, Dec. 8, 1960, M 47,346 4 Claims. (Cl. 52-378) The conventional systems for sealing single-skin fiat or slightly inclined concrete roof surfaces have a number of serious disadvantages, such as the formation of bubbles, cracks and condensation water.

To obviate these disadvantages, roof insulating systems have been devised which are vapour-repellant and which have a vapour barrier below the heat insulation, to reduce vapour pressure and wetting of the heat insulation. Such insulations can take the form, for instance, of perforate glass fleece strips which have a coarse gravel underlay and which are connected to the roof surface by spot adhesion.

Also known are multiple-layer insulating systems which comprise foldable building or corrugated cardboard, a heat-insulating layer and a layer of roofing felt and which are laid on the roof with the use of hotor cold-flowable bituminous adhesive, whereafter a second continuous layer of roofing felt is stuck on. Also known are roof insulating boards which are made Wholly or mainly of plastic and which comprise: a hard polyvinyl chloride underlay board having wart-like projections to define air channels; a foamed polystyrene heat-insulating layer; and a polyvinyl chloride foil as moisture-impervious layer.

A disadvantage of these known roof insulating systems is that the procedure for applying them to their support surface-dc, the concrete surface-4s tedious and comprises a number of working steps. The support surface must first be given an initial insulation by being coated with bitumen, and the bitumen thus applied must dry completely before the insulation boards can be stuck on by means of hot-flowable bitumen compound.

The laying must be done in dry weather and after the concrete support has dried satisfactorily. Quite slight rainfall may cause a fairly lengthy interruption in the work, and this risk increases the cost of the roof covering considerably.

The invention starts from composite roof insulating boards which comprise an underlay board, heat insulating layer and moisture seal and which have projections or the like on the underside to define air channels. It is an object of the invention to simplify the work of laying such insulating boards and to make laying independent of the weather.

To this end, according to the invention the projections or the like on the board underside are formed with narrow horizontal grooves, and thin elongated connectors are engaged in the grooves and are formed with bores with which are associated downwardly extending annular reinforcements, for securing to the roof surface. Advantageously, the grooves extend around the periphery of the projections. The connectors can be individual elements. According to another feature of the invention, a number of connectors can be interconnected to form a multiple-element connector.

According to another feature of the invention, instead of projections in one piece with the boards being used to define the air channels, rods or circular bars can be provided in spaced adjacent relationship to one another or bars which are in cross-section substantially trapezoidal and which widen downwards can be provided in spaced adjacent relationship to one another. The connectors according to the invention can be engaged in the gap which is left between the bars and which can, if required, be filled up with a variety of substances, the connectors being clamped between the bars without any need of a special groove.

Advantageously, the boards are interconnected by the connectors, all or some of which are connected to the concrete support surface, for instance, by nailing or plugging, so as to secure the roof insulating boards. This method of laying the roof insulating boards is very rapid and is not affected by weather.

Embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional view of one embodiment of the inventive roof insulation structure, this view illustrating the realtionship of this structure with a concrete floor;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the arrangement illustrated in FIGURE 1, this view partially broken away to more clearly indicate the engagement of the connector with the projections;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged top plan view of one type of connector which may be used in the inventive roof insulation structure;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation view of the connector shown in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of a second embodiment of the inventive structure; and

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view of a third embodiment of the inventive roof insulation structure.

Referring to the drawings, there can be seen a flat roof 1 made of concrete. A roof insulating board is laid on this concrete base and is given in its entirety the reference 2 in FIG. 1. The roof insulating board 2 comprises an underlay board 3, a heat insulating layer 4, and a moisture seal 5. The edges of the layer 4 project beyond the rest on the board and therefore overlap when the boards are fitted together. The underlay board 3 is provided with Wart-like projections 6 which define air channels 7. The air channels 7 separate most of the exposed area of the underlay board 3 from the roof 1 and thereby insure that the roof insulating board 2 is not damaged by the condition of the roof 1 due to the effects of inclement weather.

All or some of the projections 6 are formed with narrow horizontal grooves 8 spaced from said underlay board which grooves extend either just in one direction, for instance, parallel with the board lengthwise edge, or peripherally, as denoted by the reference 8 in FIG. 2.

Thin elongated connectors 9, which are with advantage made of plastic, are engaged in the grooves S; conveniently, the connectors 9 engage with a number of consecutive projections 6. The connectors 9 are formed intermediate their ends with bores 10 surrounded by downwardly extending annular reinforcements 11 which, when the connector 9 is engaged in locking relationship in the grooves 8, rest on the roof surface or extend almost thereto.

As can be seen in FIG. 3, the connectors 9 can take the form of two elements 9' symmetrically interconnected by a web 19, in which event the fixing apertures 10 in the two elements 9' are oifset from one another so that at least one of them stays exposed after the connector 9 has been fitted (see FIG. 2).

To lay the roof insulating board according to the invention, one or more connectors which have already been engaged in the grooves in the boards but which still project therefrom have their projecting parts secured to the roof, by nails or fastener means 20, as shown in FIGURE 1 whereafter the board is slid completely over the connectors and is therefore located at one end. Further connectors are then pushed half-way in at the opposite side, as can be seen in FIG. 2, and are similarly secured to the roof surface. After the connectors 9 are engaged in the grooves, they extend into the air channel 7 so that a secure connection of the insulating boards 2 may be made to one another and to the roof 1. Another board is then pushed onto the projecting parts of the connectors 9, and the operations are repeated until all the boards have been laid. If required, connectors can be provided at the ends which are bent down; alternatively, the edge boards can be secured along their outer edge during the conventional zinc sheet work by means of cover strips or the like.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the air channels are defined not by wart-like projections 6 but by round bars 12 which are laid in spaced relationship adjacent one another; connectors 9" are engaged between the bars 12 and the annular thickened part 11 of the connector 9" is adapted to the height of the bars 12.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, bars 13 are provided, the width of which increases downwards and which are in cross-section trapezoidal and between which, of course, connectors 9" can be engaged.

In all the embodiments the heat insulating layer can take the form of cork boarding or other heat-insulating substances, such as peat or mineral fibres or the like, the underlay boards can take the form of cardboards or foils or waterproof papers or wood fibre boards or the like, and the moisture seal can take the form of roofing felt, glass fleece strips or other tarry or bituminous compounds.

Advantageously, the connectors 9 are made of glass fibre reinforced polyester resin. Alternatively, hard polyvinyl chloride or wood or galvanised metal can be used.

As already stated, the embodiments hereinbefore described and illustrated in the drawings are merely examples of how the invention can be carried into effect, and the invention is not limited to such examples. There are many other possible embodiments and applications of the invention; for instance, instead of the double-fingered connecting element shown in FIGS. l-3, a single-fingered connector could be used, as suggested in FIGS. and 6, or the connector could consist of more than two fingers. The edges of the connector can be adapted to the shape of the groove or to the lateral surfaces of the bars which bound the air channels. Also, the kind of securing disclosed could be used to secure boards or the like for the insulation of cold stores, walls and floors.

I claim:

1. A roof insulation structure for attachment to roofs comprising the combination of a plurality of composite roof insulating boards positioned adjacent one another, each of said boards including an underlay board, a heat insulating layer on said underlay board and moisture sealing means on the opposite side of said heat insulating layer from said underlay board, and means interconnecting said plurality of insulating boards to one another and to said roof, said interconnecting means comprising a plurality of projections connected to and extending downwardly from each of said underlay boards and defining air channels between said insulated boards and said roof, said air channels separating most of the exposed area of said underlay boards from said roof and thereby insure that said insulating boards are not damaged by the condition of said roof due to the effects of inclement weather, a plurality of connector means, each of said connector means comprising an elongated member having a bore located intermediate the ends thereof and defined by a downwardly extending annular spacer reinforcement, said reinforcement engaging at the downward end thereof said roof structure, and means for connecting said connector means to said roof passing through said bore, said elongated members including means engaging in locking relationship at the ends thereof and at the opposite end engaging in locking relationship a plurality of said projections at a spaced distance from said underlay boards, said ends extending into said air channel so that a secure connection of the insulating boards to one another and of the insulating boards to the roof is maintained, said connector means each being adapted to simultaneously engage projections of adjacent insulating boards.

2. A roof insulation structure as set forth in claim 1 further comprising grooves in said projections, said connector means engaging said projections by fitting in said grooves.

3. A roof insulation structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein said projections comprise a plurality of round bars arranged in spaced adjacent relationship to one another.

4. A roof insulation structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein said projections comprise a plurality of bars having a trapezoidal cross-section, the width of said bars increasing downwardly and said bars arranged in spaced adjacent relationship to one another.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,052,788 2/13 Bates 52293 1,752,342 4/30 Jaeger 52347 2,038,433 4/36 Lawrence 52512 2,089,893 8/37 Greulich 52344 2,095,248 10/37 Harshberger 52-560 2,164,138 6/39 London 52-407 2,175,671 10/39 Ryan 52-408 X 2,482,339 9/49 Hibbard et al 52309 2,744,042 5/56 Pace 52-309 X 2,900,677 8/59 Yetter 52-492 2,910,155 10/59 Bradner 189--36 3,029,172 4/62 Glass 52-309 X 3,031,725 5/62 Omholt 52483 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,208,044 9/59 France.

240,178 4/ 46 Switzerland.

CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM I. MUSHAKE, HENRY C. SUTHERLAND,

Examiners. 

1. A ROOF INSULATION STRUCTURE FOR ATTACHMENT TO ROOFS COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF A PLURALITY OF COMPOSITE ROOF INSULATING BOARDS POSITIONED ADJACENT ONE ANOTHER, EACH OF SAID BOARDS INCLUDING AN UNDERLAY BOARD, A HEAT INSULATING LAYER ON SAID UNDERLAY BORAD AND MOISTURE SEALING MEANS ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID HEAT INSULATING LAYER FROM SAID UNDERLAY BOARD, AND MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID PLURALITY OF INSULATING BOARDS TO ONE ANOTHER AND TO SAID ROOF, SAID INTERCONNECTING MEANS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF PROJECTIONS CONNECTED TO AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM EACH OF SAID UNDERLAY BOARDS AND DEFINING AIR CHANNELS BETWEEN SAID INSULATED BOARDS AND SAID ROOF, SAID AIR CHANNELS SEPARATING MOST OF THE EXPOSED AREA OF SAID UNDERLAY BOARDS FROM SAID ROOF AND THEREBY INSURE THAT SAID INSULATING BOARDS ARE NOT DAMAGED BY THE CONDITION OF SAID ROOF DUE TO THE EFFECTGS OD INCLEMENT WEATHER, A PLURALITY OF CONNECTOR MEANS, EACH OF SAID CONNECTOR MEANS COMPRISING AN ELONGATED MEMBER HAVING A BORE LOCATED INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF AND DEFINED BY A DOWNARDLY EXTENDING ANNULAR SPACER REINFORCEMENT SAID REINFORCEMENT ENGAGING AT THE DOWNWARD END THEREOF SAID ROOF STRUCTURE, AND MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID CONNECTOR MEANS TO SAID ROOF PASSING THROUGH SAID BORE, SAID ELONGATED MEMBERS INCLUDING MEANS ENGAGING IN LOCKING RELATIONSHIP AT THE ENDS THEREOF AND AT THE OPPOSITE END ENGAGING IN LOCKING RELATIONSHIP A PLURALITY OF SAID PROJECTIONS AT A SPACED DISTANCE FROM SAID UNDERLAY BOARDS SAID ENDS EXTENDING INTO SAID AIR CHANNEL SO THAT A SECURE CONNECTION OF THE INSULATING BOARDS TO ONE ANOTHER AND OF THE INSULATING BOARDS TO THE ROOF IS MAINTAINED, SAID CONNECTOR MEANS EACH BEING ADAPTED TO SIMULTANEOUSLY ENGAGE PROJECTIONS OF ADJACENT INSULATING BOARDS. 